


If The World Was Ending

by mingyunwoo



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Jeon Wonwoo/Kim Mingyu-centric, Leaving Home, Lost Love, M/M, Mingyu is still in love with Wonwoo even though it hurts, Post-Break Up, Song: If The World Was Ending (JP Saxe ft. Julia Michaels)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-19
Updated: 2020-02-19
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:34:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22797139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mingyunwoo/pseuds/mingyunwoo
Summary: Following the days of Wonwoo and Mingyu's break up, the latter still feels lost over the mutual agreement. While Wonwoo is off to start a new chapter in his life, Mingyu is left behind to build himself back up again. He attempts to redefine the meaning of the world around him and what comes after it when it ends.
Relationships: Jeon Wonwoo/Kim Mingyu
Comments: 2
Kudos: 26





	If The World Was Ending

**October 21, 2019**

“A comet is expected to get nearer and nearer to the Earth as it orbits around the sun. Come 2021, the comet will approximately miss the Earth by close proximity and once it comes back in 15 years, it is presumed to finally crash which may cause collateral damage all over the wor--” Mingyu turns off the TV and walks towards his bedroom. He passes through the clothes piled across the floor and grabs his phone on the bedside table.

A light breaks through and he is greeted by an image of him and Wonwoo. He goes through his contacts and called the one person he’s been thinking of relentlessly.

“Hey,” The voice is familiar. Mingyu couldn’t help but feel weak to his knees, so he drops to his bed as the voice message continues. “This is Wonwoo. If it’s important, call again in five minutes. Otherwise, you know what to do.”

Mingyu pauses for a short minute, unable to say what he wants to. “Hi. It’s me,” His voice cracks. “I know it’s over and that I should be okay already. But the thing is, I’m not. I miss you. It’s been three days and I still can’t believe it’s over. I love you so much,” Mingyu is grabbing onto his sheets in frustration. He is trying to stop the tears from streaming down his face. “I hope you’re feeling better than how I’m doing, and you find whatever it is that’s been missing…” 

He wipes the single tear that finally dropped from his eyes. 

“But, I just have one question left…” He licks his lips before saying it. “If the world was ending, you’d come over right?”

**October 10, 2021**

The airport is filled with busy people trying to get away from it. The last thing they want is to stay longer in a place where time is warped. Wonwoo looks around and he finally sees a familiar face. He walks towards him.

“Hi,” Wonwoo greets him with a big smile and a hug. “That has to be the longest flight I’ve been on. Did you wait long?”

“Not at all,” Jun says. “But, I can’t say the same for the others. They’ve been at the bar for hours waiting for you!”

“I told you guys to cancel, we can just meet tomorrow,” Wonwoo says. They walk out of the airport and towards Jun’s car. Jun helps Wonwoo with his bags before they entered the car.

“And miss a chance to see you right away? No thanks,” Jun begins driving. “They’re all there: Minghao, Dino, Seokmin…”

“Anyone else?” Wonwoo asks casually, not wanting to be too obvious about who he’s asking in particular.

“No,” Jun says. “Mingyu has other plans. Besides, we didn’t think it’s okay for him to be there considering how things ended between you two.”

“Yeah,” Wonwoo shakes himself back to reality. “You’re right. He wouldn’t want to be there…”

“Actually, he was looking forward to it, but last-minute schedule shifts on his job had him too pre-occupied to go.” Jun states. “He’s doing good, Wonwoo. I don’t know when was the last time you talked to each other, but he’s actually better than he used to be since you left.”

Wonwoo laughs at Seokmin’s anecdote about how he first proposed Vernon to move in with him. He has been gone so long and the moment he’s back he’s being bombarded with so much information about his friends; how they are and who they’re with. He’s mostly surprised by Dino who has matured most of all. 

“Hyung,” Dino says. “If you don’t have anywhere else to stay, you can crash on my couch. Hotels here have gotten much more expensive since you left, you might want to ease up on those expenses.”

“That’s kind of you, Dino. I’ll consider that offer,” Wonwoo smiles at Dino and his ability to offer things so freely. He’s always been so endearing towards Wonwoo and he’s glad Dino has never lost sight of that love for him.

“So, enough about us,” Minghao interrupts. “How are _you_? Tell us all about your time in the US…”

“Oh,” Wonwoo straightens his posture getting ready to share all about his time abroad. “There’s nothing much to say to be honest. My two-year internship in New York is pretty much it. I’ve been so busy that I didn’t really have time to go around. But…” Wonwoo continues to recall the interesting moments during his stay in New York. 

All four of them share laughter over a beer for a good hour. Wonwoo stops all of a sudden when he sees a familiar figure walk into the bar - Mingyu. A smile forms in the lips of Mingyu and he immediately walks towards him. Wonwoo feels every beat of his heart thump through his chest. Two years and this is how it feels for him. He sees the man he was with for almost seven years and he’s reminded of everything he loved about him. 

“Hi,” Mingyu stops in front of him for a few seconds before gesturing in for a hug. Wonwoo lets him lean forward and he does the same. They share a quick hug before Mingyu speaks again. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t planning on going but then the office said we can all go home early so I might as well come here to see you. Is this okay?”

“No,” Wonwoo says in shock. “I mean, yes. It’s fine. Take a seat.”

Minghao stands up and picks up a chair on another table for himself. “Sit here,” He offers the seat beside me.

“Thanks, Hao,” He gives him a smile and a pat on the back. The last time Wonwoo saw Mingyu, his soul was crushed and so was Wonwoo’s. The break-up was both hard on them, and Mingyu took the brunt of it all because he’s the one who is left behind. Wonwoo saw Mingyu at his lowest that day and seeing him now made him wonder how he was able to build himself up again and find a way to smile so freely.

“How are you?” Wonwoo asks him with utmost sincerity.

“I’m doing very well, Wonwoo,” Mingyu responds. “I missed you though.”

“I missed you, too,” Wonwoo admits. 

“Okay,” Jun says. “I guess that’s our cue.”

“What?” Wonwoo says. Jun, Minghao, and Dino were gathering their things and preparing to leave. “No. What do you mean? Don’t go, the night is young and Mingyu just got here.”

“We hang out with Mingyu-hyung all the time,” Dino says. “You two catch up.”

“Yeah,” Minghao adds with a mischievous smile. “We’ll text you, Wonwoo. Welcome back.”

They all take turns giving Wonwoo a hug and give Mingyu a pat in the back before leaving. Now, it’s just Wonwoo and Mingyu.

“So,” Mingyu interrupts the silence. “How are you?”

Wonwoo stares at Mingyu dumbfounded at the glory that is his ex. It took him a while to process Mingyu’s question until he realizes that he still hasn’t answered him. “Oh, yeah. I’m doing great. Jetlag is a bit of a sucker, so I don’t feel a bit sleepy yet at all.”

“Yeah? Wanna get out of here and go for a walk? I bet you haven’t seen much of the city yet. It has changed a lot since you left.”

“Is that so?” Wonwoo says. “Okay, then. Take me on a tour, good sir.”

They both stand up, gathered their stuff, and left the bar. 

The city is quiet as it is at night, but it’s not too quiet. It’s quiet to the point that you can hear the radios and TVs playing from the windows of apartments. What it lacks in noise make up for the brightness of the city lights. It is dim with sparkling ornaments that make up the array of colors around the city. They walk on the pavement of an empty street, except for cars that rarely pass by or otherwise parked. 

“So what changed?” Wonwoo says as he walks alongside Mingyu who’s already looking out into the distance to show him new stuff.

Mingyu explains the buildings that were removed and the parks that we built. He talks about the newly-renovated central business district and other things that Wonwoo might not know. “I’ll tell you what didn’t change, too.”

“And what’s that?” Wonwoo asks. They stopped at the pier and they're now both standing by the port. Wonwoo is leaning on the railings while Mingyu stands a few meters away from the edge and Wonwoo. 

“I’m still very much in love with you,” Mingyu says.

Wonwoo’s heart stopped for a second. He is unsure of what to feel about that confession. He looks back at Mingyu and smiles at him. “I love you, too. But…”

“But what?” Mingyu takes a step forward to Wonwoo.

“I don’t think I’m ready to pick up what ended between us.”

“Why is that?”

“Because I hurt you. I left and hurt you.”

“It was a mutual agreement, Wonwoo,” Mingyu says. “I understand things now. I forgive you.”

“Thank you,” Wonwoo smiles at Mingyu and takes his hand. “But, I’m not sure I forgive myself.”

“I…” Mingyu wants to say something, however, he’s not sure what. All the time he spent waiting for Wonwoo and it leads to this. Mingyu didn’t know what to expect, but knowing Wonwoo, he must have at least known this is how he will respond. “Understand.”

Wonwoo gives Mingyu a hug long enough to match each other’s breathing. They break the hug to look at each other intently - eyes only focused on one another. Without delay, Mingyu leans in for a kiss to which Wonwoo didn’t deny him. Wonwoo missed the taste of Mingyu’s lips and he wasn’t going to refuse a chance to have it pressed against his once again, regardless of how wrong it is. Wonwoo breaks off the kiss and gives Mingyu a softer, more comfortable hug. 

“We shouldn’t have done that,” Wonwoo says backing away from Mingyu and focusing his attention back at the ocean.

“I know,” Mingyu replies. “But, I’m happy we did.”

“Me too,”

“I get that this is not the right time for us,” Mingyu admits. “I don’t think I’m in the best place to be with you again, too. I spent all those years waiting for you and I finally realize that there’s something wrong about that. I want to be right for you. I want you to be right for me. But, the time will come that I’ll be ready and if by chance you’re still not there yet with me. I will wait for you. I just…” 

Wonwoo faces towards Mingyu once again, ready to hear everything he has to say.

“I can’t imagine a world where I’m not with you, Wonwoo,” Mingyu says. “I can wait.”

Wonwoo smiles at Mingyu. He is very much in love with Mingyu at this moment. His willingness to dedicate so much time to fix himself and wait for Wonwoo until he’s ready is the most romantic gesture any man can offer him. “I’ll tell you what,” Wonwoo states. “There is this comet NASA is monitoring. I don’t know if you’ve heard about it. But it’s assumed to crash into us by 2024 and eliminate all life on Earth. If by then, things are still unclear between us, I grant you permission to find me and ask me again. But, there’s not a single doubt in my mind that I won’t deny you the answer you want to hear." 

**October 28, 2024**

His first steps were something they all wanted to see, but they weren’t there to see it. As Jun let’s go of baby Sunwoo, they try to recreate the first time he walked. Sunwoo walks towards Wonwoo, struggling at first but once he got his ground he quickens his steps and successfully fell right at Wonwoo’s hands. Everyone in the room clapped and laughed, smiling widely at the beautiful child who has become a good part of their world. 

“I love you so much,” Wonwoo says to the toddler who has little to no understanding about how he is being celebrated. “You did so well.”

Seokmin walks to Wonwoo and extends his arm as a sign to get his baby from Wonwoo.

“Aw,” Wonwoo pouts at Seokmin. “Can’t I hold him just for a little bit?”

“No,” Seokmin responds bluntly. “I miss him already. If you’re so fond of my baby so much, why don’t you get one on your own?”

“I would, but neither of us is ready.” He hands Seokmin back their baby. “I still don’t get a grip around the thought. How did you and Vernon think it’s time to have a child?”

“When you know, you know,” Seokmin says. As if right on cue, Vernon appears and wraps his arm around Seokmin’s waist. 

“When you know, you know,” Vernon agrees with Seokmin. After giving their baby a kiss on the head, he looks at Seokmin endearingly and gives him a kiss as well. A few seconds later, the doorbell rings. “I’ll get it. It’s probably the rest of the food we ordered”

“Thank you, Vernon,” Seokmin says.

Jun and Wonwoo continue to play with Sunwoo while talking with Seokmin, asking him about his first year of being a dad. They try to listen intently, but they can only focus on how cute Sunwoo is. 

“Look who’s finally here,” Vernon walks back into the living room where everyone is gathered. 

Mingyu walks in shortly after. He smiles at everyone and then at Wonwoo who quickly walks towards him for a kiss. He gives him a soft punch on the chest, “Why are you late?”

“That hurts,” Mingyu brushes his palms over his chest where Wonwoo playfully punched him. “You told me to get these.” Mingyu lifts a paper bag to which Wonwoo forces him to bring it down immediately. 

Wonwoo looks around to check if anyone else saw Mingyu lift up the bag. Luckily, everyone else was in the kitchen preparing their food. “Hide it. Don’t let anyone else see you. It’s our surprise for Sunwoo.”

“Alright,” Mingyu responds. “If you say so, boss.” Mingyu gives him a cheeky smile before rushing off to a corner to hide their gift. 

Wonwoo walks to the kitchen where Minghao and Jun are preparing the cake for the baby.

“I can’t believe it’s been a year,” Jun says. “They grow up so fast.”

“You’re such a drama queen,” Minghao interrupts. “It’s just his first birthday, he’s not going off to college or something.”

“Okay,” Wonwoo says. “Let’s sing Sunwoo a happy birthday!”

“Dino,” Seokmin calls. “Take a video of us.”

They all sing for Sunwoo. Mingyu walks into the kitchen casually and sings along while walking towards Wonwoo. Wonwoo, by instinct, wraps his arms around Mingyu’s as they look Sunwoo with love.

“ _Happy birthday. Happy birthday. Happy birthday, Sunwoo,_ ” They finish singing. Seokmin and Vernon help Sunwoo blow his candles and they both give him a big snog. 

“Okay,” Dino excitedly states. “It’s time for gifts. Here’s mine.” Dino immediately hands over a paper bag to Seokmin.

“Oh, alright,” Seokmin laughs at Dino’s eagerness to give his present to Sunwoo.

“Already?” Wonwoo says. He looks at Mingyu. “Can you get ours?”

“But I just hid it?” Mingyu responds.

“I know, Mingyu, but it’s gift time,” Wonwoo pouts. He knows exactly how absurd it is to ask Mingyu to get the gift he just asked him to hide, but he didn’t anticipate how fast they were going to start giving presents. Mingyu kisses Wonwoo’s forehead. “Thank you, baby.” He shouts as Mingyu walks out of the kitchen to get their present.

Seokmin lifts a small shirt Dino got for Sunwoo. The shirt says “I love Uncle Dino” in the front and “He is my Favorite Uncle” in the back. They all laugh at the predictable gift Dino got Sunwoo. 

“This is so cute,” Vernon says.

“And I have to agree,” Seokmin looks at Dino. “You are our favorite uncle for Sunwoo. Thanks for always being available to take care of him.”

“Okay,” Wonwoo says as Mingyu walks in with the paper bag he was holding before. “Enough of this snog fest. Time for our gift.”

“That’s a big bag,” Vernon says while holding Sunwoo.

“I know, right?” Mingyu gives Mingyu a playful wink.

“Shut up, man,” Vernon laughs. “What is it?”

“It’s a gift specifically from Uncle Wonwoo and Uncle Mingyu,” Wonwoo says. “Well, I thought of it, but it’s Mingyu’s money, so…”

They all laugh at Wonwoo’s remark. Seokmin helps Mingyu bring out the gift and they were all in awe of what it is.

“It’s a telescope,” Wonwoo says. “I know he’s too young to understand what it is, but I want to believe that having it near him constantly until he grows up will spark interest in him…”

“Wonwoo’s an astronomer, so I’m pretty sure he just wants someone to follow his legacy that’s why he bought that,” Mingyu quickly adds. Wonwoo quickly nudges Mingyu on the ribs.

“I mean, yes. That’s a part of it. Is that wrong?” Wonwoo laughs.

“No, it’s not.” Seokmin looks at Wonwoo with so much gratitude. He walks to Wonwoo and Mingyu to hug them tightly. “This is a beautiful gift. Thank you so much.”

“It’s not a problem,” Wonwoo replies.

“Maybe to you,” Mingyu says jokingly. Wonwoo nudges him again. “I’m kidding.”

The three of them laugh and the rest quietly stare at them. Vernon approaches Mingyu and Wonwoo to let them hug Sunwoo. “Sunwoo say thank you,” Vernon says.

“You’re welcome, baby.” Mingyu has his fingers in Sunwoo’s hands, and he’s amazed at how small he is.

“Okay,” Minghao says. “You’re all overly-dramatic, we get it. Just open my gift already.”

The night continues with Seokmin and Vernon taking turns holding Sunwoo, opening gifts, and eating. Sometimes the rest of them get to hold Sunwoo, but not until Seokmin gets him from them. They all share the moment of Sunwoo’s first birthday, and when Sunwoo finally fell asleep they shared a few drinks before heading home. 

“Do you mind if we take a shortstop before heading home?” Mingyu asks Wonwoo while driving. 

“Sure,” Wonwoo looks over to Mingyu and smiles at him. Mingyu lays down his palm and Wonwoo instantly gets it. He places his hands on Mingyu’s, and Mingyu pulls it towards his lips to kiss it. 

“Alright,” Mingyu takes a turn and before they know it they have arrived. 

“The pier?” Wonwoo asks. He remembers that night, but he wanted to act like he forgot it just to hear Mingyu’s recollection of it all. 

“Don’t you remember?” Mingyu gets out of the car and Wonwoo follows. They walk towards the port and they relax over the railings. Mingyu pulls Wonwoo in for a hug, they face the ocean with Mingyu’s arms around Wonwoo. “Three years ago today, things were a bit rocky between us because you just came back from your internship, but you told me to ask you again when you’re ready. You were basically telling me not to give up on you, and I’m glad I didn’t.”

Wonwoo smiles at him with nearly tears in his eyes. Truth is, three years ago, he was sure Mingyu was the one for him, but he was afraid that Mingyu wasn’t on the same page as him wholeheartedly. He wanted to give Mingyu an out, to think things through just in case he’s making decisions over a clouded judgment. 

“It didn’t even take more than two years for me to win you back. I waited for you just as much as you did for me. We couldn’t have been better for each other in that perfect timing.”

“Do you remember the comet I told you?” Wonwoo asks.

“Yes,”

“I lied about that,” Wonwoo admits. “The comet was found months before to be not threatening to us at all. I just remember that thing you asked me back then.”

“I knew about that,” Mingyu confesses with a laugh. “I’m not as dumb as you think I am, Wonwoo.”

“I don’t think you’re dumb at all,” Wonwoo responds. “I just think I’m smarter.”

“There doesn’t have to be a comet plummeting towards the Earth - threatening all existence - for me to know and be sure that I will always come home to you.” 

Wonwoo turns himself around still wrapped around Mingyu’s arms. He puts his own arms around Mingyu’s neck. “I love you,”

“I love you, too,”

“Okay,” Wonwoo says. “Now do you remember the voicemail you sent me three days after we broke up five years ago, you asked that question, right? I want to answer it now because it remains unchanged, even after all these years.”

“Okay,” Mingyu urges him to proceed.

“I want to let you know that even if I stayed in New York, I get married, and I find another person to be with. It won’t be the same as when I’m with you. If the world was ending, I would always come to you. You’re _my_ home.”

Mingyu couldn’t help it so he presses his lips towards Wonwoo’s as he holds him ever more tightly. The world wasn’t ending for Mingyu and Wonwoo - it’s just about to start. 

**Author's Note:**

> This is inspired by the song If The World is Ending by JP Saxe and was personally requested by an irl. I hope you guys enjoy this. Let me know what you think in the comments and tweet me @lordemingyu.


End file.
